Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1887-02-02
THE TEA MARKET.
Sharp Competition In Transporta
Causing Low Rates for tho Leaf.

Sharp Competition I'm Transportation
Causing Low Rates for the Leaf {
The tea-drinker who comfortably
sips her cup of Oolong seldom ponders
upon the great maritime struggle
which has long been going on and the
overland competition which is just now
in its infancy to supply her with this
soothing beverage at reduced rates.
Time was when tea made greater in
roads on the pockct-book than now;
and competition in carrying it from
China and Japan to Eastern ports in
this country is one of the important
factors in the reduction. The sailing
vessel, technically known as the
sailer, was once the sole medium of
transportation. Now the Union,
Northern and Canadian Pacific rail-
ways almost annihilate the slow coming
and going of the white wings of the
ocean as tea-carriers. Tea, like other
things, is rushing across continents
now in the mad competition Of modern
traffic.
The sailer took cargoes of goods
from New York and Boston and
brought back teas in exchange. 1t
months to make the round trip. When
the weather was particularly fine, the
voyage this way might be made in four
months. When the California fever
broke out, the demand for freight from
this port thither induced the building
of clipper ships, which made a rapid
passage, with attendant high frcights
out but no freight returning; so the
clippers crossed the Pacific and took In
cargoes of teas; the time of tea transit
to this port was thus reduced to from
ninety to one hundred days. Then the
Panama railroad was built and steamers
from China by the way of San Fran
cisco to the Isthmus of Panama, con-
Meeting by rail with steamers on this
side, once more made reduction in
tea time to from forty to fifty days.
The completion of the Union Pacific
Pacific Mail line from California to
China made from thirty to thirty-five
days the limit. The Suez Canal route
made the time from China to this port
from sixty to seventy days. The
Northern Pacific railroad next wheeled
into competition. Sailing vessels were
still used as we'll as steamships to con-
vey the tea to San Francisco. Now
sailers were also put on to connect also
with the Northern Pacific at Portland,
Oregon. The completion of the
Canadian Pacific railway with its sailers
from Japan now affords three lines of
overland competition, all of which are
in rivalry with the Suez Canal route.
These four lines of competition have
reduced the price of bringing tea here
largely. Until lately the rate within
five years was rarely below cents
(gross) pound, and by the Pacific
railroad route it varied from 6 to 4
cents for the entire distance from
Japan. Now the first one or two fast
steamers which bring in the first new
teas make the carrying price B cents.
but after that it falls to II cents-or 1t
did last year, while this year it was II
cents. The cost by the Suez canal is a
little less, but the time is about twice
as much. The sailing vessels connect
ing with the Pacific railroad run only
to Japan, where they receive their
cargo of green tea from other vessels,
which are from four to five days in sail
ing from Chinese ports.
The consumption of the japan teas
here is more than one-half of all teas
consumcd; last year the number of
pounds brought here was 10000, 900,
while the importation of green teas
amounted to Is, 100000, and that of o.
long to 100000. The Canadian Pa
cific Company is talking of putting on
fast steamers to supplant its sailing
vessels. The time from Yokohama to
Montreal is forty-sevcn days. A cargo
of tea by the old Cunarder Parthia has
recently arrived here after being forty
two DAYS in transit from Hong Kong.
This is considered unusually fast time.
~ Y Tribune.